Dry-air closet.



Patented Mar. l3, I900. G. R. SCATES.

DRY AIR CLOSET. (Applica tion filed Nov. 27, 1899.\

2'$heets-Sheet L (No Model.)

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THE NDRRIS P'ETERS co. PHGTO-UT50,WA$HINEYON, o. c.

mllll NN MN No. 645,495. Patented Mar. l3, I900.

G. R. SCATES.

DRY AiR CLOSET.

' (Application filed Nov. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheeis-Shaet 2.

S s s s s 1 9 10 3 30 "so ae0fy6fi.sms,awoantoz witn e ooeo f9, 1 Q I I @tiozm UNITED STATES PATENT Grrrcn.

GEORGE RANDAULPH SCATES, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

DRY-AIR CLOSET.-

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,495, dated March 13, 1900.

Application filed November 27, 1899- fiierial No. 738,433. (No model.)

To all whom, it nutty concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE RANDAULPH SOATES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Dry-Air Closet, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dry-air closets, and has special reference to that class of closets which are especially designed for use in connection with school buildings and other public places wherein it is desirable to preserve the best possible sanitary conditions.

To this end the invention primarily conte 1nplates a novel form of stool provided with means for the separation therein of the solid and liquid matter and the delivery thereof to points beyond the stool,where it may be readily disposed of by a system of ventilation and evaporation, thus preserving the cleanliness of the stool. at all times and permitting the escape of odors therefrom. In carrying out this object the invention also contemplates a construction of stool that may be readily set up and separated and which may also be adapted for use in connection with dwellings as well as with public buildings.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for opening up the hopper when occupied.

With these and many other objects in View, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features constituting the invention are necessarily susceptible to some modification without departing from the spirit or scope thereof; but the preferred embodiment of the improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a stool embodying the improvements contemplated'by the present invention and shown associated with a drying-vault having separate evaporating-flues for the solid and liquid matter. Fig. 2 is a front view of the stool. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of the sponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention the improvements contemplated thereby are preferably associated with the type of drying-vault illustrated in the drawings. This vault (designated by the numeral 1) is constructed of masonry and is of asufficient depth and width to admit of. the use of a number of stools therewith, as is customary in setting up closets for use in connection with public buildings, such as school buildings and the like. The vault 1 has built therein a masonry arch 2, extending the full length thereof and divid ing the interior of the vault into the upper and lower evaporating-fines 3 and 4, respectively. These evaporating-fines 3 and 4 also run the entire length of the vault, and a cement or equivalent flooring 5 is built upon the arch 2 to provide a solid imperforate floor for the upper evaporating-flue 3, which constitutes a receiving-chamber for the solid matter delivered from the several stools, while the lower longitudinal evaporating-flue 4 is also provided with a solid imperforate drainage-floor 6, which receives thereon the liquid matter from the stools and is preferablyinolined slightly in a direction toward the vent shaft or stack '7, which arises from the vault to provide for carrying off the products of evaporation from the liquid matter. The separate evaporating-fines 3 and 4: of the drying-vault open at one end into the vent shaft or stack 7, and at its opposite end the upper of said fiues 3 opens directly into the ventilating-chamber S, in which the draft induces a supply of fresh air which is caused to circulate through the vault, thereby insuring the carrying ofi of the odors and gases, and thus thoroughly ventilating the entire apparatus. To provide for insuring this necessary ventilation of the apparatus, a suitable heater 9 is arranged at one end of the vault, and the smoke-pipe 10 of this heater is extended into one end of the lower evaporating-flue 4, so that the smoke and other products of combustion will pass directly into and through the said fine 4, thereby providing for evaporating the liquid matter therein, while at the same time heating up the floor of the upper chamber 3, so as to assist in drying out the solid matter to the combustionpoint, this operation being also assistedby the radiated heat from the heater 9, which passes into the adjacent end of theupp'er evaporating-flue 3.

A series of stools (designated by the letter S) are designed to be arranged in the usual way in connection with the vault, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings; but as each of these stools is alike a description of one will suffice for the others. Each stool S essentially consists of an upright hopper 11, adapted to be sustained in upright position with relation to' The base' plate 12 covers the top of the vault and serves the vault by the base-plate 12.

as a closure for the upper side of the upper evaporating-flue 3, and in connection with the hopper 11 of each stool, the base-plate 12 is provided therein with a discharge-opening 13, communicating with the interior of the hopper and with the upper evaporatingflue 3, and surrounding this discharge-opening 13 and conforming to the shape thereof is an integral upstanding seat-flange 14, projected from the upper side of the base-plate and provided at suitably-spaced intervals with integral ofiset socket portions adapted to receive therein the attaching-feet 15, projected from the bottom peripheral edge of the hopper and secured to the base-plate by means of fastening-bolts 16 or equivalent fasteners. This construction provides a firm seating for the hopper upon the base-plate,

while at the same time permitting of the ready'removal and replacing thereof.

The upright hopper 11 is preferably of a cast-iron formation and is constructed of two duplicate-semi-ovoidal sections 18. These two semi-ovoidal sections 18 of the upright hopper are adapted to register with each other and provide the complete hopper and are provided at their meeting edges with outturned.

abutting flanges 19, adapted to receive therethrough the clamping-bolts 20, which provide for securely fastening the two sections-of the hopper together,while permitting of the ready separation thereof whenever required. At its upper edge the said sectional two-part hopper 11 is provided with a horizontal top rest-flange 21, upon which is fitted the seat-support 22, havinghinged to the rear edge thereof a seat 23 of ordinary form, and as this seat-section 00- operates with another part of the apparatus furgher reference thereto will be hereinafter ma e.

The upright sectional hopper 11 is of a downwardly-flaring form and is of an approximately ovidal shape in cross-section, thereby producing a convergent front portion, and within this convergently-arranged front portion is formed a longitudinally-disposed liquid-duct 24. The liquid-duct 24 extends nearly the full length or height of the hopper 11 and is closed in at the front by the contiguous convergent side portions of the hopper, which therefore constitute two walls of the said duct 24, as plainly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, andto provide for closing in the remaining or third side of the liquid-duct 24 there is employed a separate detachable wall-plate 25. This wall-plate is of an upwardly-flaring width, so that the side edges thereof will follow the curvature of the inner faces of the side sections of the hopper, and by reason of this shape of the wall-plate the same is permitted to register between the front convergent side portions of the hopper and extend across the space between the said portions of the hopper, the said wall-plate being removably retained in position by means of the curved retaining-flanges 26, projected inwardly from the opposite side sections'lS of the hopper and running longitudinally thereof.

The detachable wall-plate 25 of theliquidduct 24 terminates at its upper end a short distance below the upperend of-the hopper, so that the duct 24 will receive therein the liquid excrement, it being thus observed that there is a direct separation'of the solid and liquid matter within theupper portion of the hopper, and to prevent the upper end of the duct 24 from becoming clogged an approximately triangular guard-screen 27 is fitted therein and is sustained in position by means of suitable supporting-flanges 28. The lower end of the liquid-duct 24 at the bottom of the hopperopens into a drain-port 29, lying above a drain-pipe 30, fitted within the drying-vault, and having its lower end in communication with a discharge-passage 31, which opens into the lower evaporating-flue 4, so'a's to deflect the liquid products into the same for evaporation by the heat passing through said fiue.

The bottom discharge open'in g 13 for the hopper is adapted to be automatically covered and uncovered bya tilting drop-door 32. This tilting drop-door is of a shape conforming to the shape of the discharge-openin g 13, and to insure the free movement of said door the same is provided at one side of its transverse center with an arm portion 33, fitted with a counterbalance-weight 34, to which is also connected an extra weight 35, which normally provides for holding the door closed over the opening 13. The said door 32 is pivotally supported on a hinge-rod 36, journaled in IIO crank 38, to which is pivotally connected one end of the operating-link 39, the upper end of which is pivoted, as at 40, to the hinged seat-section 23. The weight 35 normally holds the door 32 closed and disposes the crank 38 in such a position as to provide for a slight elevation of the hinged seat-section 23. When this seat-section is occupied, the same is necessarily depressed, thereby causing the dropdoor 13 to tilt downward to a position which permits of the solid matter dropping directly from the hopper 11 into the upper evaporating-flue 3, while the liquid matterat the same time enters the liquid-duct 24 and passes into the lower evaporating-flue 4:. When the seatsection 23 is relieved, the drop-door automat' ically returns to its closed position and positively prevents odors arising into and through the hopper. 7 V

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described dry-air closet will be readily apparent to those familiar with the art without further descriptiomandit will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured,

"normally-open vertical liquid-duct extending through the hopper and in communication only with the other flue, and means for establishing a circulation through the individual.

and non-communicating flues of the vault, substantially as set forth.

2. In a dry-air closet, the combination of a drying-vault provided with longitudinal flues cu-t oif from communication one with the other, a hopper surmounting the vault and havlng valved communication with only one of the flues, a vertical liquid-duct extending through and below the hopper and in communication at its lower end with the other of said flues only, the upper end of said liquidduct being normally open and disposed in close relation to the hopper-seat to effect the initial separation of the liquid from the solid matters, and means for establishing a circulation through the individual and non-communicating flues, substantially as set forth.

3. In a dry-air closet, the combination of a drying-vault provided with the non-communicating flues arranged close together and extending longitudinally of the vault, the series of hoppers surmounting the vault and each having a valved discharge-opening in communication with but one of said flues, a

vertical liquid-duct extending from the upper part'of each hopper and in communication at its lower end directly with the other evaporating-flue,and a heater and astack in communication with opposite ends of the noncommunicating evaporating flues, substantially as set forth.

4. In a dry-air closet, the combination of a vault having separate upper and lower noncommunicating flues arranged parallel one to the other andlongitudinally of the vault, a vent-shaft in communication with both the flues at one end thereof, avertical drain-pipe communicating directly with the lower evaporating-flue only, a hopper surmounting the vault and provided with a valved dischargeopening in communication with the upper evaporating-flue only, and a vertical liquidduct communicating at its lower end with said drain-pipe and having a normally-open upper and screened end disposed contiguous to the hopper-seat, substantially as described.

5. Ina closet, the combination of the baseplate provided with an opening therein, and an upstanding rest-flange surrounding said opening and having at intervals offset socket portions, and a hoppersurmounting the baseplate and having its lower edge registering within said seat-flange and provided with a plurality of peripheral attaching-feet engaging in said socket portions, and a closure for automatically covering and uncoveringsaid opening in the base-plate, substantially as set forth.

6. In a closet, ahoppercomprising the complemental members united together and forming at the front thereof a part of an inclosing wall for a vertical liquid-duct, and a separate wall-plate fitted between said hopper members in opposing relation to the meeting front part thereof and thereby completing the aforesaid liquid-duct, as and for the purposes de= scribed.

7. In a closet, a hopper comprising the complemental cross-sectionally-curved members meeting each other at the front and forming, in part, the inclosing wall for a vertical liquid-duct, a separate wall-plate fitted between, and in opposing relation to the meeting front portion of, said members and thereby completing said liquid-duct, and means for detachably holding said wall-plate in position within the hopper, substantially as described.

8. In a closet, 'a hopper provided with convergent front side portions and having projected from opposite sides thereof longitudinally arranged retaining flanges, a detachable wall-plate removably fitted within the hopper against said flanges and having its edges meeting the opposite front side portions of the hopper to close in a liquid-duct extending longitudinally thereof, substantially its full height, substantially as set forth.

9. In a closet, a hopper consisting of sepa- IIO rate duplicate sections, detac'hably held together at their meeting edges; a detachable wall-plate removably arranged Within the front portion of the hopper to close in a longitudinal liquid-duet, and a guard-screen removably fitted within the upper end of said liquid-duct, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE RANDAULPH SGATES.

Witnesses:

J. L. NELSON, JAMES PARKER. 

